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I’d done a terrible job at that as well. A pair of men held her now, one who’s roving hands I longed to slice off at the wrists. My thirst for violence surged, desperate to mete out punishment against those who’d wronged me, my family, my people.

My gaze caught on the hilt of the sword hanging from the man attempting to throw my dead weight over his shoulder. That was the opening I needed, and I finally gave myself permission to strike.

I threw my weight toward him, sending us both toppling to the ground. At the same time, I pulled at the bonds around my wrists, where I’d been steadily working on the knots. The already frayed rope gave with a snap, and I thrust my arms apart with a cry.

Before the others had fully grasped that I was free, I pulled the sword from the downed man and shoved the tip through his ear. The others fumbled for their weapons as I stood and spun on them, blade at the ready.

“Fuck!” one of them cried, scampering backward, having completely given up on pulling his sword.

I stabbed the next in the throat, coating the front of my clothing with yet another layer of fresh blood. I shoved him backward off the blade as I relieved him of a dagger from his belt. Several more men headed toward me, blades brandished, but I had already shoved the tip of the dagger into the mechanism on the side of the collar choking my throat.

The hated thing released. It scraped my neck as it fell free, but I didn’t care. All the pain—the cuts, the bruises, the many wounds I’d accumulated—only served to fuel the adrenaline surging through my system. It made the anger sharper, cleaner, more honed as I coaxed the fire forward, as easy as breathing.

“You’ll destroy the ship, Your Highness,” Kendara called from behind.

I spun, sword in one hand, dagger ready in the other, and everything bathed in the glow of the flame that now engulfed my entire body like a reassuring caress. It should have taken too much energy from me. Whether fed by adrenaline or something else, all I felt was emboldened as my body surged with magic.

Kendara held my curved blade, onyx handle shining in the bright light of the double moons above. Not a single scratch marked her, nor a hair out of place, as she yanked my sister close with her free hand, fingers digging into Sharlyne’s flesh.

I furrowed my brow, slow to accept the reality of the situation. But my flames must have understood before I did because they bent and lapped toward her with desperate hunger. She was no friend.

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t,” I shouted.

To the side, the pirate who’d been bent over Galan now drew him to shaky feet, arm wrapped around the front of his throat and angling him between us like a shield. I threw the dagger I held in my right hand. The blade somersaulted through the air with a whoosh, imbedding in the man’s jugular. He froze for a moment, then fell backward, letting Galan slide to his knees, head flopping to his chest.

Kendara’s throat bobbed as she swallowed, clearly affected by my display. No one else dared move. “You can’t make it to Synbari if you burn your ship to ash.” The tremble in Kendara’s voice boosted my confidence, but also my concern that she’d do something stupid with my sister in her hands.

“There’s another one right there,” I said breezily, nodding toward the pirate ship that had ambushed and boarded us under the guidance of Fiorge. It was probably in better condition.

“You may not burn, but your friends will. Nyah will.” Kendara’s voice seemed to echo in my mind.

Nyah.

I shook my head, trying to clear the gaping emptiness that told me something was wrong. I couldn’t afford to lose focus now. If I did, I’d never be able to help her. And every second that passed gave that sick fuck more time alone with her and Rune down below.

“Release her,” I commanded, zeroing in on the bruises already coloring Sharlyne’s upper arms from where she’d been manhandled far too much already. To punctuate my point, I turned up the heat, and several of the empty crates combusted, garnering shouts from the men surrounding me.

“If I release her, you will kill me, and I can’t let you,” Kendara said evenly. “It isn’t just my own life at stake.”

That gave me pause. “Explain.”

Kendara swallowed again, eyes roving over the dead bodies littering the deck as though just realizing that the lives at stake numbered more than those she cared about. I took a step toward her, and her gaze snapped to mine.

It wasn’t cunning or greed that fueled her determination. That was something I’d seen far too many times to count, from men I’d cut down with little guilt to keep me up at night. No, this was the look of a caged animal, desperation the driving force behind her actions. Some of my anger ebbed, but I held on to the fire and the appearance of a man unhinged, lest some other fool decide to act.

“They have Terra,” Kendara choked out. The warrior woman’s confidence crumbled in that moment, revealing a frightened girl beneath. As if to prove it, a tear slid down her cheek. “They said they’d return her to me if I helped lead you to capture.”

Her shoulders collapsed with the admission, and she relinquished her hold on Sharlyne’s arm. My sister backed slowly away, leaving the mountain elf deflated, my sword hanging limp at her side.

“I know what it is to lose a loved one to Balram’s hold,” I said, in a low voice as I edged toward my sister, and she moved slowly closer to me. “He killed my uncle and my father. He captured, held, and tortured my mother, then slaughtered her in front of my eyes.” Sharlyne let out a little gasp at this just as I reached her. I sliced through her bonds, and she immediately began working on getting her collar opened.

I couldn’t meet her fathomless gaze. I refused to acknowledge the pain of the truth I’d withheld about our mother. It would have been better for my sister if I had told her everything when she would have had time to deal with it—if only I hadn’t been so afraid of facing the onslaught of emotions it would unleash. Coward, I admonished. But I didn’t think I could live through it a second time—not while witnessing Sharlyne’s reaction.

“The king won’t hurt Terra,” Kendara said, catching my attention. Her voice broke with the understanding it was a fantasy she held onto to keep her sane. I knew that feeling too. “It’s the agreement.”

“She’s probably already dead. I’m sorry.” I was sorry, and it may have been cold, but what I left unsaid was even colder. That if she wasn’t dead, she was likely wishing she were. I’d been in his dungeons. And I’d seen what he’d done with the last mountain elf he’d taken. I could still taste my mother’s blood from the tiny vial.

Kendara’s head whipped back and forth in silent refusal to believe me. She fell back against the mast and let my sword clatter to the deck. Tears slid freely down her face in a storm of release.